Wear Teal

Tuesday was the start of September - and who isn't excited about that?! - but it is also PCOS Awareness month. For those of you who don't know PCOS is polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is an
endocrine disorder that effects a woman's body in multiple ways including her period, acne thin hair and more. It also can effect a woman's fertility. But more than just that PCOS increases a woman's risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol heart disease and high blood pressure.

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It's been six months since I was diagnosed with PCOS and there has been some ups and downs. Truthfully I probably wouldn't have been diagnosed had we not been trying for another baby. PCOS can make it difficult to get pregnant and although we conceived Addison naturally very quickly, we struggled the second time around. Luckily we were able to get pregnant again thanks to help from an RE and medication.

Finding out I had PCOS was definitely overwhelming. And truthfully I got more overwhelmed the

more I looked into it. But I was also thankful I had an answer for our fertility problems but also an answer to so many things I had wondered about myself my entire life. My entire life I struggle with acne. I struggled with irregular periods. I struggled with thin hair that fell out pretty easily. I always felt like I had a hormone imbalance. But over time I just started thinking that maybe this was normal. It wasn't like it was something that I talked about it. I just started coming to terms with the fact that this was just the way it was supposed to be. After struggling with acne for my entire life it was in college that I went on birth control to help and for the first time I felt balanced.

Honestly I was angry because I just wanted to feel normal and not be the girl with thin hair, lifelong acne and sudden fertility problems. But being angry wasn't going to make it go away. It was something I was going to have to deal with and face. So I knew I was going to make some changes, although I didn't know where I was going to start. Before I could really figure it out, I was put on Metformin, which is a diabetes medicine, to hep with insulin resistance. I didn't know where to start but the Metformin did. Suddenly I wasn't craving the carbs like I was before. My body was progressing them normally and I wanted protein and vegetables more. Popcorn, chips and pasta were a thing in my past. When I did have carbs and had too many, I always ended up with a massive stomach ache.

I had to learn how to feel my body and do what was best for me. I had to learn to accept that PCOS was apart of my life. The hardest part of PCOS was the impact it had on my fertility. I count my blessings every day that we were finally able to get pregnant again. We were lucky enough to not have to go to an IUI or IVF in order to get pregnant.

In the long run, I know that Addie has a higher chance of having PCOS because I have t. I know that it will once again play a part in getting pregnant for a third time. I know that for the rest of my life I have to be aware of the impact it has on my body because it's not just about thinning hair or fertility.

So this month it is all about PCOS Awareness. It's about getting informed. It's about standing by a friend or family member who has PCOS and who is struggling with infertility because of it. Wear teal for those women.

For more information:
Fight Like a Girl: Part I
PCOS Foundation
Women's Health: PCOS Fact Sheet
PCOS Awareness Association
PCOS Nutrition: 30 Facts about PCOS

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xo, B